Manuel Junction

Manuel Junction is a railway junction near the village of Whitecross, Falkirk, Scotland. It is the terminus of the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway (operated by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS)) and forms a connection between it and the Glasgow–Edinburgh via Falkirk line. It is not to be confused with Bo'ness Junction which refers rather to the mainline junction adjacent to Manuel Junction on the Edinburgh–Glasgow line. There is no station here but services operated almost entirely by ScotRail pass on the Edinburgh–Glasgow service and Edinburgh–Dunblane service. The area's signals are controlled by Edinburgh Signalling Centre (SC). There is a loop on the westbound side and a disused west facing siding. The siding leading to the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway and Manuel Junction is east facing on the eastbound side and is controlled by Bo'ness ground frame, which is released by Edinburgh SC.

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145 m

Bo'ness Junction rail crash

Bo'ness Junction rail crash occurred at Bo'ness Junction in Falkirk, Scotland on 27 January 1874. A passenger express train collided with a goods train – 16 people were killed and 28 injured. The junction lies on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway between Falkirk and Linlithgow where the line to Bo'ness joined from the north near Manuel station. On the morning of 27 January 1874 the East Coast Scotch express had been divided at Edinburgh and was due to pass the junction in two portions; the first bound for Glasgow at 07:02 and the second bound for Perth at 07:07, but were running 8 minutes late. As soon as the Glasgow express passed, a goods train waiting in sidings at the junction was shunted across onto the main line, and the Perth express collided with it. It is believed that the station staff mistook the late-running Glasgow train for the second Perth express. Signals should have prevented the disaster but it is believed they were incorrectly set. Only when the roar of the approaching express could be heard were the signals were put back to danger, but it was too late to prevent the collision. 16 people were killed and 28 injured. A road bridge near the point of impact was so badly damaged it had to be demolished. The tragedy was heightened by the fact that the absolute block signalling system which would have prevented the disaster (by preventing more than one train from occupying a section of route at the same time) was being installed at the time, and was due to be switched on only 10 days later.

Whitecross, Falkirk

Whitecross is a small village within the Falkirk council area, close to the boundary of West Lothian council in Scotland. It lies 2.0 miles (3.2 km) west-southwest of Linlithgow and 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south-east of Polmont on the west bank of the River Avon. Until the end of World War II it was literally a handful of buildings, but expanded thereafter with a housing estate planned by Stirlingshire County Council in 1945. The United Kingdom 2001 census reported the population as 819. Manuel Junction, where the branch line from Bo'ness used by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society meets the Glasgow-Edinburgh via Falkirk line, lies north-east of Whitecross. The main local industries were a brickworks and coal mining, both now ceased. The Avon Aqueduct carries the Union Canal across the River Avon just south of Whitecross. The ruins of Manuel Priory are close to Whitecross on the eastern, West Lothian, bank of the Avon. This was a Cistercian convent founded, or perhaps re-founded, in the reign of King Malcolm IV of Scotland (1153–1165). The remains of the 15th century Haining Castle lie in the grounds of the former Manuel brickwork north-east of Whitecross.

Almond Castle

Almond Castle is a ruined L-plan castle dating from the 15th century. It is located 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Linlithgow, and north of the Union Canal, in Falkirk, Scotland. It was known as Haining Castle until the 17th century. The structure is unsound and is protected as a scheduled monument.

Avon Aqueduct

The Avon Aqueduct is a navigable aqueduct that carries the Union Canal over the River Avon, near Linlithgow, Scotland.